Made out of smoke
by annapr689
Summary: A young thief gets mixed with the wrong crowd - those annoying, spandex wearing superheroes.
1. Chapter 1

First fanfic, or rather, first fanfic that I actually dared to publish. Maybe it's not a good sign for things to come that my first story on this site is about an oc, but I'll do anything to not turn this into a Mary Sue thing. What I can say for now is - my girl will not be breaking any cannon relationships, and probably wouldn't even have a romantic subplot. Lots of mushy gushy friendship, though, you have been warned!

First chapters are rather short and action-less, but things should be picking up around chapters 4-5.

Young justice belongs to dc comics and cartoon network, not to me.

Chapter 1

In this kind of business, planning was everything. Well, it was a rather integral part of any business, really, but when a missed detail meant being sent to jail, you normally tried to take everything into account. That being said, even the best laid out plans could not prepare you for everything. In fact, the more scrutiny you put into the details of your plan, the more likely it was for it to go south in the weirdest way possible.

It was meant to be a simple robbery. The museum was rather small, its security not exactly top of the art. The painting was pricy, but not on the level of a Van Gogh. Just important enough to sell for good cash to the right collector, but not the kind of stuff that gets some masked vigilante on your tail. Nothing grandiose. Get in, bypass the security, grab the loot, get out. The kind of stuff Ghost could do with her eyes closed, one hand tied behind her back. 'The best laid out plans indeed', she thought miserably. 'How the hell did it come to this'?

This… Her hands were shaking. It took nearly all her mental strength to force them to be still. She never really... had to use a gun before. Not like this, not against a real person. Sure, she threatened with it, played with it in front of the others, that sort of thing. But that was all fake, just a show, to let the other lowlifes know – you do NOT mess with the Ghost . Three years officially in the business, and she never had to resort to actually… She swallowed. She didn't want to use it. And the man in the red body suit lying unconscious in front of her, blood flowing from his left leg, was the last person she wanted to use it against.

Shooting the Flash – and hitting! That was pure luck of course, or rather, the purest bad luck imaginable. She couldn't even see where he was. The only thing visible was a red circle, surrounding her and steadily closing in. And she panicked. What a rooky mistake. She panicked and shot three times. Ghost couldn't be sure, but the last one probably didn't matter. She got him on the second try. She could still see the look on his face – pure shock – as he stumbled, still at a dangerous speed, and crashed, head first, into a wall. And now the man was lying there, completely at her mercy. She could kill him. She could unmask him. Both actions would make her an underworld legend. Instead she sniffed and rubbed her nose. Finally putting the gun back in the holster, she quickly reached his side. Security may have been disabled, but there's no way the shots weren't heard. She needed to finish here fast, and scramble. She could see that he was breathing. That's already good. She reached for her small backpack, got a sterile bandage, and quickly applied it to his wound, putting pressure in the right spot, to stop the blood flow. The wound wasn't life threatening. Good.

Ghost got up, put the backpack on her shoulders and was ready to leave, when a thought stopped her. 'He is going to think I'm some kind of monster'. The man who once saved her life is going to remember their second encounter as the time he was shot by some faceless villain in a ridiculous mask. She kneeled back next to him, fully realizing how pointless this is, and removed her grey, featureless mask, revealing her pale face and short brown hair.

"I'm sorry", she whispered, staring at his jaw, the only feature his mask didn't cover. "I didn't… Look, I'm just sorry, ok"?

With those words, the thief known as Ghost got up again and disappeared into the dark.


	2. Chapter 2

Still very short, sort of 'prologue-ish' chapter, so I managed to write it very quickly.

Chapter 2

To say the Flash was surprised would be the understatement of the century. Did he – did she – The gun..? He couldn't really think clearly. His thoughts were slow and sluggish. The sensation was so alien to him, he could almost pretend they were someone else's thoughts. A deep, throbbing pain, centered below his left knee, was radiating through his body. 'Shot', his brain finally reached a conclusion. 'Left leg'. He wanted to groan, but the action seemed to be taking much more energy than he could master. 'Concussion', his brain added. 'The wall'.

Suddenly, a cool, slightly shaky hand, touched his neck, lingered there for a moment, then repositioned his head. He thought his body moved too, but he felt too disconnected from it to be sure. Suddenly there was pressure on his leg, and this time, the pain was enough for him to moan softly. The hand touched his cheek for a moment, and abruptly let go. A few moments, or maybe minutes passed and he began to sink into sleep, when he heard quiet words, that weren't really registering, but he was sure he'll understand them, if he could just think clearly. And yet, his thoughts only got more and more confused. He could see wild flowers, glowing brightly, as they grew with amazing speed in the darkness behind his closed eyelids. And then, the flowers exploded into a storm of fireworks, and Barry Allen finally passed out.

xxxxx

"So let me get this straight. This villain robs a museum, you go to apprehend her, and she manages to hit you, the Flash, in the leg. Then she proceeds to treat your wound, says she's sorry, and runs away". Dinah Lance, also known as Black Canary, raised an eyebrow. "You know, you got a pretty bad concussion. Are you sure it wasn't someone else? A policeman, or…"

"Unlike me, you read the report, Canary. The cops found me this way, and apparently got there seconds after the kid disappeared. No one else could have done it", Barry tried to move his head towards her, and winced. "And concussion or not, I remember the chronological order of the events pretty clearly. She bandaged the wound. Then she apologized. Then I blacked out".

"Kid, huh…" Canary said quietly.

Barry wasn't sure if this was a question, but decided to answer anyway.

"Yeah, couldn't be more than sixteen. Really thin, too. Kinda makes you wanna go to the child protection services and give them a concussion or two…"

Dinah smiled. This was so typically Barry. He always treated his opponents fairly, no matter their age. But when it came to kids… The Flash didn't see a teen super villain, or thief, or gang member. He saw the failings of the system. The parents, the teachers. The adults. And it made his blood boil.

Just then, the door to the infirmary burst open, and what seemed to be a gust of yellow wind flew into the room. A moment later, a very worried, very guilty looking Wally West, aka Kid Flash, was found standing over Barry's bed, slightly panting.

"Uncle Barry, I'm so sorry. The mission – I didn't know, Batman only told me when we came back, but I ran here as soon as I could". He said all that very fast. "I'm sorry I wasn't there with you", he added quietly.

"It's ok, I'm fine kid", Barry said, smiling at his nephew. "And I'm glad Batman only told you after you came back. You would have been distracted, and then I'd have to explain to your parents why we're both in bandages".

"Did you find who did this"?

"Not yet. I asked batman to leave the investigation to me, and it'll take a few days for me to stand back on my feet".

"Then I'll do it for you! Me and the team – "

"No, Wally. Promise me you'll leave this alone. You're too close emotionally, and you might do something rash. Please", he looked him in the eyes, "Don't go looking for her, alone or with the team".

"Uncle Barry", Wally sighed, knowing he already lost the argument. "At least let me be with you when you confront them".

"Her. No problem. When I'll find her, you can come".

"What will you do when you confront her?" Dinah asked.

"Don't know yet. I still don't know what I'll find. Hopefully, she is not beyond help", he sighed, then looked at his nephew. "Now, hotshot, how did your mission go"?


	3. Chapter 3

Finally a longer chapter.

To fanficfantasies - thanks for the advice!

Chapter 3

Her apartment in central city was small, but being mostly empty, it was actually rather spacey. There were two rooms. The bigger had a mini fridge and an old sofa, whose color could only be described as 'puke'. The smaller had a bed and a rolled up mattress for guests. Technically, there was a bathroom, but since she didn't pay water bills, it was always locked. Instead, she used the 'services' of the nice family who lived next door. They didn't ask for anything in return, but Ghost decided she can at least repay them by patrolling around the building, keeping the scum away.

Ludwig knew about this, he must have. But since he never even said anything, let alone punish her for that, she figured it was fine. Alma kept warning her, saying she was walking a thin line. And she was right, of course. She was fifteen already. Three years with Ludwig. And if you survive under his gentle care for that long, people are going to start noticing you. And if you're noticed you either turn into one of his 'lieutenants', or you disappear under not so mysterious circumstances. She knew she needed to worry. And she did. Each time she had to talk to Ludwig, delivering whatever money she got from a 'job', or receiving some orders, she was scared. But, in times like this, getting out of her apartment window and starting her small patrol, she really couldn't care less. Standing in front of a small, dusty mirror, adjusting her dark grey cloak and mask, all she could think of was running in the streets, or jumping from rooftop to rooftop, or chasing some crack head who thought he could try robbing her building and get away with it.

xxxx

Tonight was her lucky night, apparently. Got to beat up a drug dealer, and chase out some punks, obviously from the good part of town, who tried to bit a homeless man with metal pipes. Nothing like scaring the shit out of some over privileged assholes.

But, it was three A.M now, and like all good things, her patrol had to come to an end. She didn't sleep for two nights in a row now, couldn't. 'Shooting the only person in the world you still admire would do that to you', Ghost thought.

Entering her apartment through the window, she quickly lit a candle (no electric bills either) and removed her mask. Sleep deprivation must have had a stronger effect on her then she thought, because she didn't even notice the long shadow now cast on her wall.

"Slow down there, kid", said an amused voice, just as she was about to remove her costume. Ghost gasped and reached for her holster, only to remember that her gun was currently lying under the bed. Couldn't quite bring herself to touch it after…

"About to shoot me again"? The voice sounded as light as before, yet she could hear a serious undertone in it now. Dangerous, even. "You realize, it was a one in a million shot you had there. Lightning rarely strikes the same place twice".

Ghost willed herself to turn around and face the speaker. As much as she didn't want to see him, standing with your back to someone while speaking to their shadow was just rude, even she realized that. 'End of the game, G. Robbery and assault with a weapon. It's jail this time. No more idiotic social workers'. She sighed and raised her eyes from the floor.

"I'm the Flash. But I guess you already know that".

"Ghost", she said in a voice that sounded too loud, and somehow alien.

"So… Thief during the day, vigilante during the night? Interesting arrangement".

"…"

"Nothing to say"?

"It wasn't… daytime. Back then".

"Yeah, I know", he said, and she imagined him raising one eyebrow. "Figure of speech, I guess". Then every hint of humor disappeared from him. "Do you even realize the trouble you're in"?

When she didn't say anything, he continued. "You know, I thought finding you will be harder. You're quite the local hero in this building, aren't you? Little boy next door practically worships you".

Ghost dropped her head again. "I tried explaining to him what a shitty role model I am. Don't think he got it, though".

She heard a heavy sigh. "What's your real name, kid? How old are you"?

"Fifteen. And it's Ghost, I told you".

"You know, once we're at the police station, I'll find out anyway".

The young thief closed her eyes for a moment. 'So this is it'. At least she has a chance to say it now. "Listen, Flash", she began, biting her lip. "I know this is going to sound stupid, but I… I tried to say it at the museum, but you were already out", she realized she was procrastinating. Say it, idiot! Come on! "Look, I'm sorry ok? Really sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I wasn't even thinking straight. I just panicked and shot".

She lifted her gaze again. Standing by the doorframe, stony and impenetrable, was the man who once saved her and her mother's lives. Back then, a million years ago, he smiled while kneeling down, telling her everything will be ok. His face was harsh now, arms crossed on his chest.

"Apology… noted. And may be accepted later on. Do you have anywhere to go, kid"?

"You mean, besides jail"? Ghost asked incredulously, wondering if the superhero decided to make fun of her now.

"Yes, besides jail. Relatives, friends – Preferably of the kind that doesn't rub banks for a living".

Ghost just kept staring at him.

"Well, you didn't get to steal anything", Flash explained. "And I'm not pressing charges. Good work on those security cameras, by the way. Besides that whole 'shooting the Flash fiasco', you didn't leave a trace. So no jail, kid. And that's why I'm asking you to leave this place. This town. Away from bad influence".

Away from bad influence… He was making fun of her, wasn't he? Ghost felt herself getting angry. Patronizing. That's what he was doing.

"And where do you think I should go"? She asked quietly.

"I just said –"

"Where the hell should I go? Friends? All my friends live in this neighborhood and work for the same guy! And family"! She let out a short laugh. "My mother, who probably can't remember her own name by now? Or maybe my school teachers, who called the police last time I showed up"?

"Hey, chill", said a second voice, and a yellow clad masked teenager entered the room. 'The sidekick', Ghost recalled. 'Speedy, or something'.

"Great. Is the entire Justice League waiting in the hallway? Should I have baked a cake"?

"I don't think you're in the position to yell at us here, thief", the newcomer actually snarled at her. "Don't forget we're doing you a favor".

"Hey, hey"! The Flash raised both his hands. "We're not here to insult each other. We are here to find solutions. Now, Ghost. Would you mind if we sat down for a while and discussed your situation"?

The girl shrugged and moved to the sofa. 'Speedy' narrowed his eyes and remained where he was, as if wary of hidden traps under the fabric.

"Now", Flash began, as he settled. "You mentioned that you and your friends are working for someone. Care to elaborate"?

Ghost remained silent for a while. Then, realizing how pointless it is to argue with a man in a red spandex suit, she sighed and started talking.

"Guy's name is Ludwig. He's a… local business man. That's how he calls himself. Has several businesses here in the slums. That's just a front though, for his main business. I'm… officially a waitress at a pub he owns. Like the rest of the guys. Unofficially, we do everything from theft to selling drugs and firearms, and everything in between".

"How did you come to work for him"? Flash asked quietly.

"Like everyone else did. Found myself on the streets when I was ten. Tried to get by on my own. Lived in a foster home for a while, then ran away again, when I was twelve. Back then, Ludwig had only started his business. His people would look for street kids like me, offering them food and a place to live, some money too. But, we had to work for him. The small kids would mostly pickpocket. The ones who had some kind of talent performed in the streets. The older ones sold drugs, threatened local business owners, stuff like that".

"And you"?

"Me? Started at pick pocketing, then moved up the ranks. I do mostly stores and the occasional museum now. First time I've been caught, by the way".

"What an achievement", she heard from behind her.

She looked back at the Speedy guy, wondering how much more she should reveal.

"That whole conversation. You didn't come here just to hear my sob story, right"?

"We came so we could understand better whom we're dealing with", said Flash, looking at some point outside the window. "So that we could treat the problem and not just one of its symptoms".

"You're going to take down Ludwig"?

"You think we can't handle him"?

"I didn't say that. It's just… What will happen to the kids"?

"We'll handle this, Ghost. I personally have connections in the police and with the social services. We'll make it work, don't worry".

Ghost felt a headache beginning to creep on her. One moment she's the perfect little minion, the next, she's conspiring with the Justice league to take down her boss.

"Well, if you're serious about this, there's something you should know. Ludwig also has some kids with meta abilities. He encourages them to train, polish their skills. Most of them are very good fighters".

"Meta abilities"? Speedy asked, surprised. "How about…"

"Yeah, me too", she hesitated for a moment, then turned to Flash. "That's how I managed to get you, I think. I have this… talent. I can become… unnoticeable. Not invisible, or anything. It's like something suddenly distracts you, so you forget that I even exist for a while. Pretty helpful if you're a thief".

"Or on covert missions", Flash mumbled to himself.

"Huh"? Both the thief and the sidekick asked at the same time.

"Nothing. So, Ghost. Me and my partner her were thinking to bring down a crime boss. Interested"?

She looked him in the eyes. The harshness was gone now, and once again he was the cheerful man from all those years ago, promising her a better future.

"Sure", she smiled. "Oh, and my name is Lina".

"Well, you know who I am already, so I'll just introduce Kid Flash, my partner".

"Wait, Kid Flash"? the girl asked, looking back at the other teenager. "Then who the hell is Speedy"?

* * *

A/N: Wow, the document manager has a will of its own. Just randomly turned parts of my story to be in italics. Weird.


	4. Chapter 4

Too short again... short chapters are my own personal curse.

Chapter 4

"So… Child labor"? Ghost asked, smirking a little, looking at the colorful group of teens in front of her.

"You're one to talk", Kid Flash retorted. "What was it – waitress, bank robber, part time masked vigilante… Missed anything"?

"Never robbed a bank in my life. Gets you too much attention. Besides, at least I get paid".

"Right. So it was a life style choice, to live by candlelight".

"Ahem", somebody made a bad fake coughing sound, and the two bickering teenagers turned to face the other occupants of the room. One was a boy, younger than Ghost, slim and black haired. He chose a strange color palate – a combination of black red and yellow. Ghost couldn't say she approved, but at least it was better than the atrocity Kid Flash wore. The other was a girl around her age, with red hair and freckles, and a much more sensible outfit of black and blue. However, you could only register those little details once you got pass the fact that she was green.

"Let me introduce ourselves", the younger boy said. "My name is Robin, Batman's partner, maybe you've heard". He looked at her expectably. Ghost blinked and scratched under her hood. "Not whelmed, I see..." Robin mumbled.

'Whelmed'? She made a mental note to check if such a word exists in the dictionary. Who knows? Maybe she's just that dumb.

"Sorry. I don't really follow superhero news. I mean, I know batman. Um". She sighed. Introductions were progressing marvelously.

"Hey don't worry about it", the teen gave a slightly crooked grin. "Actually, if you knew about me, that would be kind of weird".

"Well, at least you don't get confused with a totally different guy on regular basis", Kid Flash half joked half grumbled.

Robin smirked and continued. "This", he pointed at the green girl, "is Miss Martian. She's Martian".

"It's very nice to meet you. My name is M'gann. You can call me Meghan, that's my Earth name". Something about the green girl was very welcoming and warm. One could almost forget that this was a secret meeting between her and young superheroes who are about to bring down her own boss. Or that behind the pleasant smile, the Martian probably didn't trust her much more than Kid Flash did. Less, probably. None of them had any reason to trust her, actually. They were just following whatever crazy plans the Justice League came up with, telling themselves that they could tolerate working with a villain, as long as the reason was noble. That thought seemed to have a strange effect on her body. As if the thought had actual weight which made her chest and head feel heavy. 'I'm just the thief who hurt their mentor. Nothing more. Not to them, anyway'.

Taking a shaky breath, Ghost smiled "Likewise. Wow, never met a Martian before". God, that sounded fake. "Would you like some… erm… I think I have a bag of Doritos…" She cringed mentally. This conversation was going nowhere fast.

Robin, who clearly had a talent for breaking the ice, saved the day a second time. " Well, no point in remaining here more than necessary. It's important that we don't raise suspicion. Did you arrange everything on your end"?

She nodded. Instructions came last night via a gravelly voice outside her window. She thought for a moment that this could actually be Batman, but dismissed that thought. Like the guy didn't have anything better to do. Gotham was practically the homicidal lunatic capital of the planet.

"I cleared things out with Alma, Ludwig's deputy. Listen", she hesitated. "I know this sounds… detrimental to the mission, but… try not to hurt those guys too badly. They're not exactly good people, but they're not total assholes".

"Like you, I guess", miss Martian smiled a little.

Ghost didn't really know if this was an insult or a compliment.

"Yeah. Kind of like me".

xXxXxXx

This was definitely not the best neighborhood in the city, but, largely thanks to her own efforts, she lived in its better part. Ghost was walking down the street to the nearest Zeta beam tube (apparently some teleportation device), guided by an invisible, floating miss Martian. Robin was taking the rooftop route towards the same spot, and Kid Flash was already waiting for them there.

She was concentrating on her own meta ability, passing between the few people that were in the streets in this hour, sticking to the shadows, resembling a shadow herself. She knew that those she passed by, at most, will be left with a vague feeling of being watched, nothing more. Therefore, she was completely taken by surprise, when a commanding voice stopped her.

"Evelyn".

Alma. She should have known. If there was anyone who would never be fooled by her dubious talent, it was Alma. Serious, smart Alma. Who knows what she could have amounted to if she was born with a little more good luck? Ludwig's second in command, she demanded obedience and order. She demanded good results. Yet, in total contrast with Ludwig's shouts, punishments and deadly drunken rampages, she was actually someone you wanted to talk to after returning from a job. She would never reprimand or compliment. Only nod and accept the facts. And even if somewhat emotionless, she was always fair. Ghost almost considered her a friend.

"Oh, hey, what's up? You know I have some personal matters, right"? She asked, maybe a little too brightly.

"Yes, of course", Alma's dark grey eyes bore into hers. "Visiting your mother, is it"?

"Um, yeah. Going to catch a bus right now, actually".

"Better hurry, then", that look always made her squirm. "It is a… fourteen hour ride"?

"Well, you know, like I can afford a plane ticket, right"?

Alma said nothing and continued look at her, as if calculating something. Finally, she smirked, and continued on her way, without as much as a goodbye. Ghost sighed and resumed her walk.

"You better behave yourself", she could hear Alma's voice, a few steps behind her. "Don't make your mother worry".

'What was that all about'? an alien thought appeared in her head.

'It's that good boss I told you about earlier', she thought back. 'She's always like that, don't worry'.

'We are getting near, by the way'.

'Huh, fifteen minutes from home. Who would have thought? Um, Meghan? This isn't going to mix my DNA with some kind of spider or something, right'?

xXxXxXx

Alma waited for another two minutes after Evelyn's steps couldn't be heard anymore, and only then touched her tiny communicator.

"I just talked to her… Yes… Something ridiculous about visiting her mother … This too? Very well... Two days? Of course. All according to plan".

* * *

A/N - something about the structure of this chapter doesn't agree with me. I'll have to revisit it later. Btw, just read chapter 3, and damn... so many mistakes... Like 'rubbing a bank', classic. But that's nothing compared to the fact that Ghost has a working refrigerator - in an apartment without electricity. Genius. Too tired now, but I will definitely fix this tomorrow.


End file.
